from Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe,

The Matthews deal, and the one for Marner to follow, will have some impact around the league, particularly in that “second contract” market — kids who are transitioning out of the their entry level deals. That market began shifting dramatically in recent years, as Bruins fans witnessed in September 2017 when David Pastrnak shook $40 million/six years out of the Jacobs family room couch with his second deal.

Outside the Toronto market, the Matthews deal won’t have 21- and 22-year-olds raising their hands for $11 million, but that ceiling, however temporary, will have a way of justifying and lifting the floor. Which is to say Pastrnak’s $6.666 million payout, and Nylander’s at $6.92 million, will become the baseline in negotiations for truly gifted kids. All of a sudden $8 million a year looks like a comfortable fit for a GM with a hot shot on the rise. In Calgary, Johnny Gaudreau’s $6.75 million cap hit through 2021-22 is looking like a steal for the Flames.

Had Matthews hit the market as a restricted free agent, any of the league’s other 30 teams, including the Coyotes, could have offered him a max deal (seven years at just under $16 million a year). Viewed through that lens, the Leafs escaped with a comfortable savings.

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